Tomáš Rafa: Biennial of Cultural Resistance

Two years of no (other) culture

Martina Šimkovičová and Lukáš Machala came to power over the Ministry of Culture in October 2023. Two years of destruction are behind them and two years of resistance are behind us. That is why Tomáš Rafa called his project a “biennial”. We very much hope that this will be the last year.

Tomáš has been filming the time-lapse video project New Nationalism in the Heart of Europe for fifteen years. His archive contains everything from segregation walls and anti-refugee protests, through attacks on the LGBTI community to pro-Russian rallies in public spaces. Over the past two years, the area of ​​culture, which has so far been outside the interest of extremists, has also been added to them. We decided to “exhibit” this in support of the Cultural Strike, the Open Culture initiative and the entire cultural community that is protesting. We will be happy if the exhibition opens up space for public and professional discussion for other artistic and activist activities, works and projects. The exhibition will include an accompanying program of discussions and workshops.

In addition to Tomáš Rafa, Marek Adamov, Veronika Nemcová, Braňo Matis and our colleagues Dorota Bohušová, Tereza Boldizsárová, Ints Plavnieks, Julko Laták, Vinicius Almeida and Andrej Hinka are involved in the conception and implementation of the exhibition and accompanying program. Robo Blaško, Bashka Jombíková, Kika Husáková and other colleagues helped with the subtitles of over 20 videos. And high school students With Chalk in Hand also joined in, who will prepare another accompanying program of discussions and other events under the banner of the new initiative of the Student Club. We would like to thank Otvorena kultúr for lending us the collection of banners and the timeline from the Pohoda festival. In 2025, we still had public support from the Fund for the Support of the Arts, so the exhibition was created thanks to it. Tomáš Rafa also received a grant from the Academy of Fine Arts. Thank you for your (voluntary) entrance fee – you support the expensive operation of our beautiful building.

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Biennial of Cultural Resistance

“In my project, I trace the shift from local problems with right-wing extremism to the changing global strategies of hybrid warfare in the post-fact era. There may not be more people who believe in conspiracy theories than in the past, but the consequences of their belief are much more dangerous today: the digital environment and pro-Russian disinformation strategies of hybrid warfare multiply these narratives, spread them massively and transform them into political power. What once remained on the margins of society today directly affects public discourse, influences decision-making and undermines trust in culture, science and democratic institutions.

The theoretical framework of the exhibition is Umberto Eco’s concept of “eternal fascism”, which reminds us that fascism is not a historical anomaly, but a repeatable model of thinking and political action. The cult of fear of otherness, the need to find an enemy, the fetishization of tradition, the rejection of intellect and the normalization of hatred – in the conditions of the post-fact era, these tendencies are gaining new intensity.

Dozens of videos for the exhibition show the resistance of the artistic and cultural community against the destruction of cultural institutions and infrastructure since the last parliamentary elections. These include events such as the happening Padá kultura pre MKSR, the discussion with Michal Hvorecký Is Martina Šimkovičová a neo-fascist?, Public mourning for the Kunsthalle after its closure, the protest We Don't Need Netrebko against the engagement of the Russian opera singer in the SND, the protest action of the Open Culture initiative Down! Down! against the exhibition Bang! Bang! in the SNG, the Cultural Party happening and the protest of traditional culture on the SNP Square, protests against the occupation of the FPU by SNS nominees or reactions to the press conferences of Robert Fico on the need to change the Constitution of the Slovak Republic and Lukáš Machala questioning the results of research into the bust of Cecilia Gonzaga by Dr. Hreusová. Up to the November chalk revolution of Žilina high school students, who were inspired by Muro from Poprad. In cooperation with them, discussions and other accompanying events will take place in January.

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Tomáš Rafa

Born in Žilina. He studied visual arts at the Studio of Intermedia and Digital Media of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica (2009). He continued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Studio of Prof. Grzegorz Kowalski, where he still teaches. He currently teaches at the Department of Photography and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava.

His work explores the boundary between patriotism and nationalism. Through photographs and videos, Rafa focuses on manifestations of racism and xenophobia in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. For fifteen years, he has been making videos for the time-lapse video archive New Nationalism in the Heart of Europe – a record of political demonstrations, blockades, protests and scenes from everyday life. Group demonstrations and manifestations of extremism, where national and sexual majorities stand in opposition to minorities – similar to the famous Czech director Karel Vachek, Rafa also keeps the camera on during these events, even after the journalists have left. The footage thus depicts situations that one would not have the opportunity to see on television news.

In addition, in cooperation with local communities, he painted the so-called sports walls (segregation fences in Michalovce, Veľká Ida or Ostrovany separating excluded Roma settlements). With colleagues from the Art Activist association, he organizes summer creative workshops for children from Roma settlements.

In 2011, he won the Oskar Čepan Award. His projects were exhibited at the Art Biennale in Berlin, Prague and at the MoMA PS1 gallery in New York.

newnationalism.eu

instagram.com/rafa_tomas_artist

artaktivista.sk

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THANKS FOR SUPPORT

We would like to thank the Internal Grant System of the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava for supporting the exhibition.

The exhibition and accompanying program will be held from January 2026 thanks to the support of the Tatra Banka Foundation.

The exhibition was partially supported from public sources by the Art Support Fund in 2025.